Council leader’s message following Islington attack

The leader of Wandsworth Council has expressed his sympathies to all those affected by the appalling incident which took place in Islington last night and has reaffirmed London’s unity in the face of terrorist extremism.

He said: “On behalf of everyone at Wandsworth Council I want
to express my deepest condolences and sympathies to the people of Islington who
have suffered such an outrageous and shocking attack. Our city is being tested
yet again in the cruellest possible way and I want all those affected to know
that Londoners stand with you at this incredibly difficult time.

“This horrendous incident will be a cause of great concern
to Wandsworth’s Muslim community and the council’s community safety team is now
working alongside the police and other authorities to visit local mosques and
religious venues to review and strengthen security arrangements. I can also
confirm that additional police resources are now in place and there will be
visible reassurance patrols for the foreseeable future. This includes additional
police vehicle that will be focusing on religious venues across the borough.

“The council is also reaching out to all community and faith
leaders to ask for their support and vigilance in the wake of this appalling
attack. Just last week I hosted a
meeting of religious leaders at Wandsworth Town Hall where all those
present agreed a shared message of unity and a refusal to allow any act of
barbarity to undermine our cohesive and peaceful way of life. That message has
even greater significance today and I am immensely grateful to everyone
involved in reassuring, supporting and protecting our local community through
these challenging times.

“Following last night’s terrorist attack the people of
Wandsworth have once again responded with concern, kindness and a show of even
greater unity. This is something we should all be very proud of.”

The police and council have issued the
following safety advice:

· If you see
anything suspicious or you are concerned about someone contact the police on
the anti-terrorism hotline: 0800 789 321.

· In an
emergency dial 999 or call 101 to report it to the police

· If you are
a council tenant you can call the housing department’s hate incident line on
020 8871 6829